Self-inking stamp.



PATENTED APR 10 V B L 5 W W A. P M ISM T & M II KP A N MIN T A AwL E m PNo. 817,422. PATENTED APR. 10, 1906. J. P. EASTMAN (fz T. P. HAWLEY.

SELF INKING STAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAILZQ. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Invenfara.

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JOHN P. EASTMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND TRACY F. HAWLEY, OFMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

SELF-INKING STAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 20, 1905. Serial No. 251.123-

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN P. EASTMAN, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, and TRACY F. HAWLEY, residing atMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, citizensof the United States, have invented a certain new and useful Im rovementin Self-Inking Stamps, of which t e following is a specification.

Our invention relates to self-inkin stamps wherever used, but moreparticu arly to stamps for use in ticket printing and issuing machines,such as is illustrated in our prior patent, No. 725,054, and ourcopending application, Serial No. 251,122.

The object of our invention is to provide such a mechanism in. which thetype-slugs can be easily removed and inserted in the device, in whichthe ink is evenly and smoothly distributed to the face of the type, andin which the roller distributing the ink is forced to actually rotateover the face of the type, thereby insuring an even distribution of theink, as well as avoiding danger of the material of the roller beinginjured by sliding over the type.

A further object of our invention is to provide such a mechanism whichcan be very easily and cheaply made and installed, which is efficient inoperation, and not readily liable to get out of order in the hands ofcareless operators.

Our invention consists in mechanism capable of accomplishing the aboveobjects and in details of construction, which will be hereinafter morefully described and claimed as the specification proceeds.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of mechanism, illustrating our invention inits preferred form when the mechanism is in normal position or at rest.Fig. 2 is the same view as Fig. 1 with the parts moved to the oppositeextreme position ready to print or in the act of printing. Fig. 3 is aside view looking at Fig. 1 from the left, while Fig. 4 is the oppositeside view looking at Fig. 1 from the right. Fig. 5 is a detail persective view of a latch for holding the type-s ugs in the device. Fig. 6is a perspective detail view showing the stamp-base or type-holder andthe means for causing it to travel in a straight line with ref erence tothe stamp-carriage or supportingframe without turning on its axis. Fig.7 is a detail view of a type-slug. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view ofthe lower portion of Fig. 4, showing the method of applying ink to theroller for inking the type.

The device of our invention here illustrated is designed for use in anyself-inking stamp; but as it is especially designed for use in ourticket printing and issuing machine, heretofore referred to, it will beso described and claimed. without meaning to thereby limit the breadthof our claim.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 12 indicates the main frame orsupport for the device, which, if the mechanism is designed for use asan ordinary hand-stamp, may be supplied with suitable supporting-legsadapted to rest upon the table. It here takes the form of astamp-carriage mounted on rollers 13, designed to fit in and travelalong in the stamp-cases of our prior patent and copending ap licationabove referred to. Rising from t1is frame or carriage 12 is a tubularmember 15, in which astamp-rod 16, bearing at its upper end astamphandle 17, is adapt-. ed to move up and down. In the side of thisrod inside the tubular member 15 is cut a longitudinal groove 18,adapted to be engaged by a tongue or key or other equivalent means 19,so that the rod 16 may be moved from the position of Fig. 1 down to theposition of Fig. 2 and back again without the rod turning on its axiswith reference to the stamp frame or carriage 12 and the tubular member15.

Secured to the lower end of the rod 16 by a pin 20 or other suitablemeans is a stamp base or case 21-, carrying the type for printing uponits bottom surface. Extending from the sides of the stamp-base are pinsor rollers 22, adapted to travel in the cam-tracks of the stamp-cases ofour prior patent and copending application above referred to.

The under side of this stamp-base 21 has cut in it one or more recesses24, 25, and 26, extending substantially the length of the base and ofsuch a size that they are adapted to receive one or more type-slugs 27,bearing upon their lower faces lines of type 28. In commercial practicewe use slugs made by some one of the commercial type-casting machineswhich form such slugs. In the upper portion of each slug there is alongitudinal recess 29, adapted to engage a corresponding rib 30 uponthe inside of the stamp-base 01' type-holder 21, so that all of theslugs 27 in the base 21 are held with the type-faces 28 appearing at thebottom of the base 21 in a level printing-surface. In order to securethe type slugs in position in the base or typeholder 21, we pivot onscrews 33 or other suitable projecting journals on the sides of the base21 a latch 35, having a cross portion 36, adapted to enter cross-slots37 in the tops of the type-slugs at the end of the stamp-base, andthereby, as shown in Fig. 1 and elsewhere, hold the type-slugs inposition within the base 21. This latch member just described has a lipor handle 39, adapted to be grasped by the operator to lift the latch upagainst the pins or rollers 22 a sufiicient distance to remove the slugsfrom the base or type-holder 21. The pins 22 engage thelatch 35 in thedepressions 40 and serve as stops to prevent the latch being raised toohigh, and thereby coming in the way of other mechanism in connectionwith which the device here shown may be used.

Connected to one end of the stamp carriage or frame 13 by screws 42 areone or more curved flat flexible springs 43, and connected to theopposite ends 44 of these springs is a U-shaped clip 45, having wings orfingers 46 extending normally upward from the spring on each side of thestamp-base 21, as is shown in detail in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. Journaled inboth of the wings 46 just described is a small pipe 47, having its endournaled in an upturned pipe 48, held against rotation by a strap on oneclip-wing 46. In the pipe 47 are perforations 49, adapted to haveprinting-ink passed through them. Secured to this pipe 47 between theclips 46 are two gears or pinions 50, meshing with racks 51 on oppositesides of the bottom of the stampbase 21. One of these gears is rigidlyfastened, while the other is removablyfastened, to the pipe 47 so thatit can be removed to renew the roller material 52, to be hereinafterdescribed. Mounted upon this pipe 47 between the pinions 50 is theinking-roll proper, made of cloth or other suitable material capable ofabsorbing ink and having ink pass through it, so that as the ink-rolleris rotated printing-ink contained in the pipes 48 and 47 will flowthrough the holes 49 into the material 52 forming this roller and passthrough it onto its outer surface, by which it is communicated to thetype 28 as the roller is moved over the type.

The end of the stamp-case 21 away from where the type-slugs are insertedand around which the spring or springs 43 pass is made in the form of acurve 54, so that the stamproller may move over it around the end of thestamp-base when the parts are in print ing position, as in Fig. 2. Aportion of this curve 54 at least is in line with the racks 51, and thecurve has no gear-teeth upon it, so that when the gears or pinions 50travel off from the racks 51 onto these portions 54 the gears 52 are notrotated. The parts are so proportioned that, as shown in Fig. 1, whenthey are in normal position, with the stampcase 21 in contact with thecarriage or frame 12, the spring 43 extends around the curved portion 54and along the entire length of the type-face 28 and the racks 51 and theinkroller 52 is at the opposite end of the stampbase 21, as shown inFig. 1. The parts are also so proportioned that when the handle 17 isdepressed to the other extreme position for printing, as shown in Fig.2, the act of depression will cause the gears or pinions 50 to travelfrom the position of Fig. 1 along the entire length of the racks 51,thereby rotating the ink-roller 52 over the type-face 28 and up thecurve 54, heretofore described, to the position of Fig. 2, in whichposition the inkroller is entirely out of the way of the typeface 28. Bymaking the track 51 54, on which the pinions 50 travel from the positionof Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 1, part of the way in the form of therack 51 and part of the way in the smooth portion 54 the ink-wheel 52 ispositively rotated all of the time that it is passing over the type,(while the pinions 50 are in contact with the racks 51,) therebypreventing the material of which the inkroller is made being draggedover the face of the type, thus smearing the ink, unevenly distributingit, and perhaps tearing said ma terial upon the type, and when thepinions strike the smooth portion 54 they partially rotate and partiallyslip along it, thereby changing slightly the relative position of aparticular pinion-tooth to the rack, so that when the operation isreversed and the roller is returned from the position of Fig. 2 to thatof Fig. 1 the same rack-tooth is not in contact with the samepinion-tooth as the pinion passes back over the rack, and consequentlythe same portions of the roller 52 and the type 28 are not a second timein contact with each other. By this construction and opera- IIO tion wecan print several thousand tickets with the same type in thestamp-holder without the roller 52 being impressed with the type,thereby destroying the efficiency of the roller, as would be the casewere the track 51 54 made a rack all of the way and the same portion ofthe face of the roller 52 thus al ways returned to exactly the sameposition upon the type.

In the general operation of the device the operator first obtains slugsof type having the wording which he desires to print. He raises thehandle 39 and slips his type slugs or bars 27 inside the recesses 24,,25, or 26 in the stamp base or holder 21 and lowers the latch 36 tosecure them in position, as shown and described. He now places inkinside the tube or pipe 47 the same passing through the holes 49 intothe material 52 of the inkroller. The stamp frame or carriage being nowheld stationary by a suitable support, the operator depresses the handle17 against the action of a spring (not shown) inside the tubular member15, and. thus moves the stamp block or case to the position of Fig. 2where it prints. In so doing the pinions 50 have traveled along theracks 51, thereby rotating the ink-roller 52 in the manner heretoforedescribed and inking the type in the holder 21. As soon as the stampingis thus completed the operator releases the handle 17 and the spring inthe member 15 forces the parts to return to the position of Fig. 1, whenthe operation can be repeated.

We do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to exact detailsof construction, which may be varied within reasonable limits withoutdeparting from our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a stampcarriage or frame, a stamp-base carrying type held normally adjacent tothe frame and adapted to be moved away from it to print, an ink-rollerbearing on the type and a curved flat spring having one end rigidlyconnected to the roller and the other end rigidly connected to the frameadapted to hold the roller in rolling contact with the type as thestamp-base is moved toward printing position.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a stampcarriage or frame, a stamp-base carrying type held normally adjacent tothe frame and adapted to be moved away from it to print, an ink-rollerbearing on the type, spring mechanism connecting the roller with theframe adapted to hold the roller in rolling contact with the type as thestamp-base is moved toward printing position, a pinion positivelyconnected to the inkroller, and a rack on the stamp-base adapted to havethe pinion move over it as the stampbase is moved to and from printingposition.

3. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a stampcarriage or frame, a stamp-base carrying type held normally adj acent tothe frame and adapted to be moved away from it to print, an ink-rollerbearing on the type, spring mechanism connecting the roller with theframe adapted to hold the roller in rolling contact with the type as thestamp-base is moved toward printing position, a pinion positivelyconnected to the inkroller, and a track along the stamp-base over whichthe pinion is adapted to travel as the stamp-base is moved toward andfrom printing position, said track being composed of a rack for thelength of the type on the base and made smooth beyond the end of thetype.

4. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a stampcarriage or frame, a stamp-base carrying type held normally ad.-

acent to the frame and adapted to be moved away from it to print, anink-roller bearing on the type, spring mechanism connecting the rollerwith the frame adapted to hold the roller in rolling contact with thetype as the stamp-base is moved toward printing position, a pinionpositively connected to the inkroller, and a track along the stamp-baseover which the pinion is adapted to travel as the stamp-base is movedtoward and from printing position, said track being composed of a rackfor the length of the type on the base and made smooth beyond the end ofthe type, the smooth portion of the track being curved out of the planeof the type-face so that the ink-roller while traveling on it is movedaway from the plane of the type-face, as described.

5. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a stampcarriage or frame, a stamp-base carrying type normally adjacent to theframe and adapted to be moved away from it to print, an inlerollerbearing 011 the type, a U-shaped clip or guide in which the roller isjournaled extending upward on the opposite sides of the stamp base, anda curved flat spring connecting the base of said U-shaped clip with thestamp-carriage adapt ed to hold the ink-roller in rolling contact withthe type.

6. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a stampcarriage or frame, a stamp-base carrying type normally held adjacent tothe frame and adapted to be moved away from it to print, an ink-rollerbearing on the type, a U-shaped clip or guide in which the roller isjournaled extending upward on the opposite sides of the stampbase, acurved spring connecting the U-shaped clip with the stamp-carriageadapted to hold the inleroller in rolling contact with the type, apinion positively connected to the roller inside said U-shaped clip, anda rack along the stamp-base adapted to have the pinion move over it.

7. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a stampcarriage or frame, a stamp-base carrying type normally adjacent to theframe and adapted to be moved away from it to print, an ink-rollerbearing on the type, a U-shaped clip or guide in which the roller isjournaled extending upward on the opposite sides of the stamp-base, acurved spring connecting said U shaped clip with the stampcarriageadapted to hold the ink-roller in rolling contact with the type, apinion positively connected to the ink-roller inside said U- shapedclip, and a track along the stampbase over which the pinion is adaptedto travel, said track being composed of a rack for the length of thetype in the base and made smooth beyond the end of the type.

8. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a stampcarriage or frame, a stamp-base carrying type normally adjacent to theframe and adapted to be moved away IIO from it to print, an ink-rollerbearing on the I type, a U-shaped clip or guide in which the roller isjournaled extending upward on the opposite sides of the stamp-case, acurved spring connecting said U-shaped clip with the stamp-carriageadapted to hold the inkroller in rolling contact with the type, a pinionpositively connected to the inkroller inside said U-shaped clip, and atrack along the stamp-oase over which the pinion is adapted to travel,said track being composed of a rack for the length of the type in thebase and made smooth beyond the end of the type, the smooth portion ofsaid track being curved out of the plane of the type-face so that theink-roller traveling on it is moved away from the plane of thetype-face, as described.

9. In a self-inking stamp, in combination with a suitable support 46therefor; an inking-roller 52, of material through which printing-inkmay pass, mounted on arotatable hollow shaft or tube 47, said tube having in it perforations 49 inside the roller proper 52 and a pipe 48,adapted to contain a supply of printing-ink, rigidly secured to saidsupport and having one end forming a journal bearing for one end of saidrotatable tube 47 as described.

line with the rack 51, as described, a spring 43 having one endconnected to the stamp frame or carriage, and an ink-roller journaled onthe other end adapted to pass over the type upon said stamp-base 21, anda pinion 50 rigidly connected to the inking-roller adapted to travelalong said track, all of the parts being shaped, arranged and disposedsubstantially as shown and described for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presenceof two witnesses.

JOHN P. EASTMAN. TRACY F. HAWLEY. \Vitnesses:

DWIGHT B. OHEEVER, HOWARD M. Cox.

